LYNN — The city will host a job fair Wednesday at Thurgood Marshall Middle School for those interested in applying for teaching positions within the Lynn Public School system, amid a national labor shortage in the education system.
Thurgood Marshall Assistant Principal Stephanie Doucette said that due to local ripple effects from the shortage, the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is providing emergency expedited teaching certificates to applicants.
“There’s a hiring crisis throughout the whole nation, and we’re feeling it here in Lynn, so we’ve been hiring since the springtime, at all of the schools, and we still have plenty of positions to fill,” Doucette said. “Because there is such a hiring crisis, the DESE is giving out emergency certifications, so of course we want certified teachers, that’s what’s best, but we’re looking for people who align with our vision and want to be a part of our community.”
The job fair will run from noon until 3:00 p.m. Wednesday.
Doucette said that the school is hiring educators for special education, math, science, and English Language Learners. The ideal candidate will hold their students to a high academic standard, and be dedicated to teaching social justice and inclusivity, she said.
“Positions that are needing to be filled are special education positions, math, science, and English Language Learners [teachers],” Doucette said. “Our general vision at this school is to be inclusive and to honor social justice by keeping the rigor high for our students, so we would want someone that aligns with those philosophies.”
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Patrick Tutwiler said that he would not consider the employment shortage a “crisis.” He said that labor shortage in the education system started before the pandemic, but was exacerbated by COVID.
“I would stop short of calling the hiring situation a crisis. Certainly, there have been a number of stories across the country about educator shortages in recent months. From what I’ve seen, this is a trend that began before the pandemic that has worsened for sure,” Tutwiler said.
Tutwiler said that the school system took a more aggressive approach to the hiring process amid the labor shortages. He said that he hopes the 13.5 percent salary increase negotiated between the School Committee and the Teachers’ Union in June will act as an incentive for candidates applying for teaching positions in Lynn.
“Given our experience last year and what we know about this trend, we have leveraged a more aggressive strategy to recruit and place staff for the upcoming year. This includes, but it’s not limited to the upcoming hiring fair,” Tutwiler said. “We have significantly increased our presence on social media. We have also worked diligently to deepen partnerships and communication with schools of education and other resources. We are also hopeful that the recent agreement that we reached with the Lynn Teachers’ Union, that features a significant increase in salary, will play a role in attracting new staff.”
Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at [email protected].
